“I don’t think he needs to,” Wells told the newspaper. “Everyone knows what the situation is. Everyone is fully aware of everything that’s going on. It’s not a distraction in our eyes; it’s something he has to deal with. Most of us may get a couple questions here or there, we may see more people in here, but I think we have enough media that’s usually around this team. The first day was a bit of a mess, but after that, it’s been normal.”

Another anonymous Yankee agreed that A-Rod doesn’t owe the team an apology. He does, however, believe that if A-Rod misses games following the union’s appeal to the league, it will be his responsibility to address the club and offer an explanation.

“He’ll need to come in and explain everything,” the unnamed Yankee told the newspaper. “Nobody is going to fault him for it; people make mistakes. You just have to own up to them. He’s still going to come back and be part of the team, so a five-minute talk wouldn’t hurt anybody. When it’s all said and done, he’ll need to. Not yet.”

The three-time MVP debuted on Monday — the same day he was suspended — and has gone 3-for-11 with two walks and two strikeouts in three games.

“Alex is still playing; (Nelson Cruz) took his suspension, admitted to whatever guilt there was, apologized and moved on,” Wells told the New York Daily News. “(A-Rod) is still fighting his case, so until something comes out of that, he’s a part of this team and we’ll treat him as just one of the 25.”